WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.139 directly. Sit or stand. First, my congratulations, 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:17.399 but more about that later at our reception. We 00:00:17.399 --> 00:00:22.699 began Lent with Forgiveness Sunday, asking forgiveness 00:00:22.699 --> 00:00:25.420 of one another so that we could start the fast 00:00:25.420 --> 00:00:29.320 with a clean conscience and a smooth path. of 00:00:29.320 --> 00:00:32.259 understanding and acceptance of one another, 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:35.280 of the understanding that God's grace comes through 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:40.039 forgiveness, and that we are given peace when 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:43.380 we humble ourselves. Through all the days of 00:00:43.380 --> 00:00:47.579 Lent, we were fasting, we were praying, we were 00:00:47.579 --> 00:00:50.659 struggling to come to church and do all those 00:00:50.659 --> 00:00:55.500 things. And we get to the end of Lent, and the 00:00:55.500 --> 00:01:03.240 church... Brings us to the door of a grave. That's 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:06.280 what we see at the end of the 40 days. Well, 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:08.400 it's actually 50 when you get down to it. Because 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:11.939 next week is going to add some time. We come 00:01:11.939 --> 00:01:14.920 to the door of the grave. The grave of Lazarus, 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:18.719 the friend of Christ. And we see this amazing 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:24.379 event in which Jesus has tarried. And the sisters... 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:31.019 Try to tell them how hurt they were. That he 00:01:31.019 --> 00:01:33.140 waited and did not come. Because he could have 00:01:33.140 --> 00:01:36.579 healed Lazarus if he was just sick. But he dies. 00:01:37.579 --> 00:01:40.280 And Jesus does this amazing thing. He is not 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:48.239 a prophet. He doesn't say, oh God. By your power 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:52.420 raise this man. He does it in his own name. But 00:01:52.420 --> 00:01:56.060 he says to his father. He says, I say these words. 00:01:56.829 --> 00:02:01.469 so that those around me may know that you are 00:02:01.469 --> 00:02:05.269 glorified, and the Son of Man is glorified in 00:02:05.269 --> 00:02:10.069 this. Lazarus, come forth from the tomb. Today, 00:02:10.169 --> 00:02:16.289 your baptism is that coming forth. You were baptized 00:02:16.289 --> 00:02:20.009 not into the death of Lazarus. You were baptized 00:02:20.009 --> 00:02:24.189 into the death of Christ, says St. Paul. And 00:02:24.189 --> 00:02:27.469 Jesus, having died once, will never die again. 00:02:27.710 --> 00:02:32.509 And a dead man does not sin. You can't sin if 00:02:32.509 --> 00:02:35.210 you're dead. You're done with everything. But 00:02:35.210 --> 00:02:41.169 you are alive in Christ. So, the epistle tells 00:02:41.169 --> 00:02:47.129 us today what you should be doing. Giving hospitality. 00:02:47.650 --> 00:02:51.050 Living righteously. Trusting in God. For now 00:02:51.050 --> 00:02:54.909 you have a kingdom because you have died. in 00:02:54.909 --> 00:02:57.949 Christ's death and risen in his resurrection 00:02:57.949 --> 00:03:00.590 and been given the Holy Spirit. In fact, you've 00:03:00.590 --> 00:03:04.729 just lived the whole history of salvation. You 00:03:04.729 --> 00:03:08.490 went through the desert in Lent. You came to 00:03:08.490 --> 00:03:12.310 the gates of the promised land. You became a 00:03:12.310 --> 00:03:19.050 catechumen. You died in baptism. You rose with 00:03:19.050 --> 00:03:21.810 Christ. You were given the day of Pentecost already. 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:25.439 And now you have a kingdom, says St. Paul in 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:30.099 Hebrews, that cannot be shaken. Remember, Christ 00:03:30.099 --> 00:03:35.120 will sometimes delay. You will pray, and you 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:38.539 will ask God for something, and it won't happen. 00:03:38.939 --> 00:03:41.759 It won't happen the way we lay it out for God 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:44.159 to do it. But of course, you know, our plans 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:48.280 are not God's plans. But you have a kingdom that 00:03:48.280 --> 00:03:51.080 cannot be shaken. The Lord is my light and my 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:53.520 Savior. Whom then shall I fear? Whatever the 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:57.340 Lord does in your life, whatever he delays in 00:03:57.340 --> 00:04:01.699 answering your prayer, trust in the one thing, 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:07.500 that he has the power to raise the dead. He that 00:04:07.500 --> 00:04:11.819 believes in me, says Christ to Martha and Mary, 00:04:12.060 --> 00:04:16.399 shall live and shall never die. There's more 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:18.839 than biological death. And now that you have 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:22.639 been given the life of the soul, That is your 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:25.860 soul united to the Holy Spirit. That is the Holy 00:04:25.860 --> 00:04:28.759 Spirit who unites us to Christ. And that is Christ 00:04:28.759 --> 00:04:32.959 that unites us to the Father. You have that kingdom. 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:37.160 It is yours, brothers and sisters. Read that 00:04:37.160 --> 00:04:40.660 chapter from Hebrews again when you go home, 00:04:40.779 --> 00:04:45.480 after you rest, after you come back from church, 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:49.459 maybe tonight even. And try to live the way St. 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:52.279 Paul has laid out. That's all I have to say right 00:04:52.279 --> 00:04:56.500 now. This glorious day is a resurrectional day. 00:04:56.639 --> 00:04:59.639 It's the day in which Christ shows his power 00:04:59.639 --> 00:05:04.779 truly in a way that all those around him can 00:05:04.779 --> 00:05:07.819 see. And then they start to follow him. And the 00:05:07.819 --> 00:05:10.959 crowds will exclaim, Hosanna tomorrow. We'll 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:13.339 be celebrating Palm Sunday tonight and tomorrow. 00:05:14.449 --> 00:05:17.689 in honor and in memory and also in participation 00:05:17.689 --> 00:05:21.649 because we are also followers of Christ. No matter 00:05:21.649 --> 00:05:25.089 what, we will not turn away from the Lord because 00:05:25.089 --> 00:05:29.230 he will not turn away from us. He is my defender. 00:05:29.329 --> 00:05:32.329 Of whom shall I fear? No one. To him be glory, 00:05:32.569 --> 00:05:53.189 now and ever, to ages of ages. Amen. Let us say 00:05:53.189 --> 00:05:56.129 with all our soul, with all our mind, let us 00:05:56.129 --> 00:06:02.769 say, Lord have mercy. Lord Almighty, the God 00:06:02.769 --> 00:06:04.230 of our fathers, we pray.